A Flower in a Frame
by Tanta Green
Summary: Trunks reminisces about his first Valentine. One-shot shounen-ai fluff for Valentine's Day.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragonball Z. Akira Toriyama does and I thank him for the loan of his characters.

**AN:** I wish a Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, especially the lovely Amber. This one is for you.

**A Flower in a Picture Frame**

The frame was almost brand new, unlike the picture it held inside it. If a person was to take out the picture that was inside then they would see that it was worn and crumpled from being held too much. The picture had spent it's long life being transferred from one frame to the next, as though the owner had been constantly searching for a frame that would do justice to the photo inside; and on more than one occasion had lived in the owner's pockets when the photo was wanted closer to him than the frame would allow.

Trunks Brief pulled the back of the shiny silver frame off and pulled the photo out so that he could take a closer look. He held the crumpled peice of paper close to him, running his fingers lovingly over the worn corners and creases.

He sighed as he looked into a pair of blue eyes identical to his own, for a moment wondering how many lines the years and stress of his job had added to the eyes that seemed so bright in the photo in front of him.

His eyes then moved down slightly, to the half-dead daisy in the eight-year-old Trunks's hands. From there his eyes naturally moved to the other pair of hands in the photo, slightly smaller and paler than his own, but holding the daisy just as tightly as his own.

Trunks smiled as his eyes roamed over the other person in the photo; his lifelong friend and constant companion; Son Goten.

The photograph had been taken during a rather candid moment. Both Trunks' and Goten's eyes were wide, like those of an animal caught in a car's headlights. Neither of them had expected Trunks's mother Bulma to sneak up and take a photo of them at that moment, but apparently it had been too cute of a scene for her not to.

It was now exactly fifteen years to the day since that photo had been taken; Trunks realised.

And so much had changed in those fifteen years…

_Pink and red hearts, flowers and cupids lined the streets. Florists and card sellers were both cursing the length of the line-ups at the front of their stores and trying to calculate how much extra money they would bring in on this one day of the year that brought that little extra bit of romance to the world._

_Of course, none of this really mattered to eight-year-old Trunks Brief. What did matter, however, was that this year Valentine's Day fell on a Saturday, and the Son family, along with all the other friends of the family, would be coming over to Capsule Corp. for a get-together, he and Goten would be able to spend some time together without Trunks's father Vegeta insisting that they should be training, and Valentine's Day was one of the few days of the year that made his parents put their differences aside and act like they truly did care for one another._

_In short, it was going to be a good day._

_Trunks waited impatiently near the entrance to Capsule Corp., watching as people arrived; some he hadn't seen for almost a year._

_Marron; one of Trunks's few female friends, and daughter of one of his mother's closest friends, Krillin, began flirting harmlessly with Trunks the moment she arrived, probably searching for a Valentine's Day card to replace the one she had made by herself using pink card and a little too much glitter, and had thrust into Trunks's hands before he could object. Trunks however, was still too deep in the girls-are-gross philosophy typical of boys his age, and was almost completely unfazed by Marron's gift. When the girl realised Trunks was a lost cause, she took her card back and immediately presented it to her father Krillin._

_The Son family eventually arrived; ironically only a couple of minutes before lunch was due to be served. Trunks and Goten found seats next to each other before anyone could tell them otherwise, and chatted to each other as the older members of their families gossiped about Valentine's Day gifts and other happenings which the boys had no interest in, then swiftly disappeared before anyone could ask them to help with the cleaning up._

_The two of them began walking aimlessly around the back of the Capsule Corp. complex. For a while it seemed Goten was content to simply stay beside his best friend, but when the silence and inactivity stretched to a point when it was no longer believable of Goten, Trunks stopped and turned to confront his younger friend._

_"Goten, what's up?" Trunks asked. "You're not usually this quiet."_

_"Well…" Goten stayed silent for a moment, before rummaging around in the folds of his gi for something. A couple of seconds later he pulled out a small, white flower that looked as though it was in desperate need of some water, and presented it to Trunks._

_The older boy just stared at the offering, not quite sure what to do with it. After all, boys didn't like flowers._

_"Goten?" he questioned._

_"Well," the younger boy started. "Everyone else is giving people flowers today, and I saw this on the way over here and thought I'd give it to you."_

_Goten flashed a smile at Trunks, who couldn't help but smile back._

_"Trunks!" Goten announced. "Will you be my valley-ti…"_

_"It's Valentine…"_

_"…my Valentine?" Goten quickly corrected._

_"Goten," Trunks laughed. "Do you even know what a Valentine is?"_

_"Err…" Goten muttered, his hands still held out in front of him, offering the flower to Trunks. "No. Not really."_

_Trunks had to shake his head. Goten wasn't even two years younger than him, but seemed a lot more immature sometimes._

_Trunks was going to say 'no'. He really was._

_And then he looked at Goten's face and saw the innocent, childish hope in his sparkling eyes._

_"All right," Trunks said, reaching out to take the flower from Goten._

_And the flash on Bulma's camera went off..._

For a moment Trunks wondered if maybe he wished that he could turn backtime and go back to innocent times like the one in the photograph he held; before the uncertainty; before the tears and fights and rejection. They had both had girlfriends since then; had both denied who they were for so long that Trunks felt as though he might burst. He had confronted Goten, and then, everything had changed.

Trunks almost jumped as he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist. Soft lips pressed an even softer kiss to the base of his neck, causing Trunks to instantly relax against his lover.

"Don't you ever get sick of looking at that thing?" his lover asked him.

"Never," Trunks said happily.

"Right," Trunks's lover said. One of his arms let go of Trunks's waist for a moment, and with a flourish, produced a single flower; this one a brilliant red rose made even more beautiful by the ribbon and cellophane decorating it.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Trunks," Trunks's lover said, pressing another kiss to the base of his neck.

Yes, sometimes Trunks did wonder if maybe things should have stayed innocent, but then he remembered what fighting for what he believed in had left him with, and he knew that it was all worth it.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Goten."


End file.
